Sour Red Cherry Jelly Salad © ejmorris 2000, 2002, 2007

This is based on my Grandmother-in-law's "Traditional Family Christmas Recipe for Bing Cherry salad". (I prefer sour red cherries.) I've been told that she made her jelly salad in a ring mould and put lemon/mayonnaise in the center of the ring. Here is the variation of this salad that we serve:

Ingredients

• 1 tin (398ml/14floz) pitted sour red cherries, drained (reserve the juice!)
• ⅔ c boiling cherry juice
• ⅓ c boiling water
• 1 pkg (85gm/3oz) "Burgundy Grape" jello (if you can't get that, "cherry" will do)
• ⅝ c dry red wine (I use Chianti)
• ¼ c fresh lemon juice (Don't be tempted to use concentrate; it doesn't work)
• pecan halves
• cream cheese balls (I used a melon baller to make the balls.)

Preparation

Complex: Dissolve Jello in boiling water & cherry juice. Stir well over heat to dissolve thoroughly. Add wine and lemon juice. Cool. Form small balls of cream cheese and place in bottom of a ring mould. Pour a small quantity of jelly around the cheese balls. Cool in fridge until sufficiently set to hold the cheese balls in place. Put the rest of the jelly mix into mould. Let cool until it's set enough to hold the cherries and chopped nuts so they don't float; add cherries and nuts. Refrigerate overnight. Remove from mould onto a large platter and fill the centre of the ring with lemon/mayonnaise.

Easy: Dissolve Jello in boiling water & cherry juice. Stir well over heat to dissolve thoroughly. Add wine and lemon juice. Cool. Put jelly mix in an attractive glass bowl. When the jelly is semi-set, put the cherries, pecans and cream cheese in, making an attractive pattern on top. Refrigerate til firm. Don't unmould. (Too much grief.) Serve without lemon/mayonnaise.

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